Kanika and Pariney, Netherlands

Kanika was born and brought up in Amsterdam while Pariney grew up in Panchkula, Haryana. The two met in an arranged marriage setup, clicked really well and fell in love. Fun, festive and elegant, Kanika and Pariney’s Indo-Dutch nuptials in Holland were no less than a modern fairytale. Here, the bride shares details of how they planned their picture-perfect wedding that was captured beautifully in stills by Shades Photography.

How We Met
“Ours was an arranged marriage setup. I was in Italy when my mom was in touch with Pariney’s family in India. It was only after I came back did she inform me about him. Pariney and I took a month to get to know each other. Two months later I traveled to India to meet him. We clicked well and got to know each other even better. We gave our relationship two years before we got married since we wanted to know each other better before tying the knot. Initially, it was challenging to deepen our relationship considering the communication gap and long distance, but we gave it our best.”

Wedding Proposal
“The surprise proposal was a planned by my siblings and Pariney. He knew how close I am to my siblings, so he wanted them to be a part of this beautiful moment. When we went to India for our wedding shopping, Pariney decided to propose to me. I went shopping with my family one day, and when I came back, there was a card on the table that said: “Be ready at 7, and I’ll come pick you up.” I was excited and dressed up for the evening to only realize that my siblings were joining us too, which was really strange! When we reached Hyatt Regency in New Delhi, there was a table booked for us. A waiter approached and handed me a card written by Pariney, and as I was reading it, Pariney went down on his knees and proposed to me. It was the most beautiful moment, especially with my loved ones beside me on that evening!”

Wedding Planning
“Before the wedding was finalized, I decided to convince Pariney’s family to come over to Amsterdam so that we could have the wedding here. Since my extended family and friends are based out of Amsterdam, it was easier for us to plan everything out. They agreed, and we had the most beautiful wedding away from the city on the outskirts of Holland. We did our wedding shopping in India, and Pariney’s family flew to Amsterdam for the nuptials.”

Wedding Venue
“We chose the beautiful Marquette Castle at the NH Heemskerk Marquette Hotel. Situated in the grounds of a 13th-century castle, it is surrounded by gardens and is a short drive from the beach. This beautiful country estate was perfect for our intimate nuptials.”

Wedding
“Our marriage was officiated and beautifully put together by a woman I had met days before the wedding. She knew the families didn’t speak Dutch, so she spoke English throughout the ceremony and also added an Indian touch to her speech by greeting everyone with ‘Namastey.’ It was nice to see her take the extra effort to understand our culture. We also had a live band playing soft old Hindi music before the ceremony started. I had six bridesmaids, all dressed in beautiful pastel pink dresses. I wore a white gown that was self-designed and later created by the talented Sulakshana Monga. Once the ceremony was over, we went for lunch, toasted and cut the cake. After the wedding ceremony, we decided to have a fun photo shoot in the beautiful gardens of the estate.”

Wedding Makers
Venue: Marquette Castle at the NH Heemskerk Marquette Hotel (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Caterers: NH Marquette (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Bride’s Outfit: Soltee by Sulakshana Monga
Makeup Artist and Hairstylist: Leila Amini (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Groom’s Outfit: Burberry

Photographer: Shades Photography

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